


All I Need In The Universe Is You

by BirbZi



Category: Good Omens (TV), Good Omens - Neil Gaiman & Terry Pratchett
Genre: Fluff, Hurt/Comfort, Ineffable Husbands (Good Omens), M/M, Post-Canon, post the not!apocalypse
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-07-03
Updated: 2019-07-17
Packaged: 2020-06-03 07:51:00
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 4,217
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19459615
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/BirbZi/pseuds/BirbZi
Summary: Crowley takes advantage of being out of Heaven and Hell's prying view to take Aziraphale on a trip.





	1. A Pleasant Surprise

**Author's Note:**

> This is my first time writing an actual fic, so I hope y'all enjoy~ This has been fun to write so far.

It was a nice day. For the first time in three days, the sun was shining and there wasn’t a cloud in the sky; a welcome change from the on and off rain that had passed through the area. The better weather brought a few more visitors than normal to the local bookshop, and the owner, Aziraphale, hovered nearby, watching them browse with a practiced sense of subtle disdain in hopes of dissuading them from buying. Calling it a bookshop was more of a clever cover than anything; the angel had opened it with the purpose of having a proper place to keep his collection, and in all the years since then, he did everything he could to prevent any sales. So far, he had been successful. 

Aziraphale’s focus was brought away from the not-really-customers when the sound of Queen blaring from down the street reached his ears, drawing closer. He knew long before he saw the black Bentley pull into its spot--a spot that no other car parked at, not once, not ever--where the music was coming from. While the other people in his shop exchanged a mix of confused and vaguely annoyed glances, Aziraphale’s expression brightened with a warm smile, and he watched through the big front window as the Bentley’s engine quieted and its owner slid out of the driver’s seat. 

The man--well, demon--Crowley was tall and lanky, all limbs dressed up in whatever he felt was “cool” for the current era he all but slithered his way into. He walked with a spring in his step, like he was chasing the fading beat of the music ringing in his ears left behind from his car. His dark hair was swept back out of his face, somehow looking both neat and like the wind had blown through it, and a pair of sunglasses hid his eyes from view. As usual, he was wearing mostly black, accentuated by a deep red button-down shirt under his blazer.

“Crowley,” Aziraphale greeted as the demon stepped into the shop. “What brings you in--” 

“Pack a bag.” 

Aziraphale blinked. “What?” 

Crowley grinned, lopsided and showing just a glimpse of a too-sharp canine. “Pack a bag,” he repeated casually, ignoring the raised eyebrows from the closest would-be shoppers that heard him. 

Confusion crossed Aziraphale’s face, then uncertainty, then curiosity. “Whatever for? On such short notice?” 

“Oh, please, we’ve got all the time in the world.” Crowley chuckled. “What better time than the present? We’re going on a trip. Well--” he waved a hand dismissively and shrugged as if he expected rejection-- “unless you don’t want to--”

“No, no, I’d _love_ to,” Aziraphale interjected quickly, stepping closer to the demon before he thought better of it. “Where are we going?” 

Aziraphale didn’t need to see Crowley’s eyes to read the mischief in his expression. “It’s a surprise. Now, come on, then. Pack a bag. I’ll treat you to lunch before we go.”

The angel grinned brightly at the promise, quickly turned his attention to the people. “I’m sorry, everyone, but I’m afraid I’m closed for the day--”

“For the rest of the week.”

“The rest of the--? Yes--Yes, the rest of the week! Good day to you, please leave.” Aziraphale hurried to the back of the shop and upstairs to his living quarters, knowing that Crowley would take care of locking things up after the visitors departed. 

He was brought to a pause when he walked in. “Oh dear.” While the room was _meant_ to be his living quarters, it was rarely used as such. Tea cups and books were scattered all over the place, along with discarded clothing that he had forgotten about. The bed was in complete disarray; the covers, while tucked in, were nearly hidden underneath the various items he had carelessly tossed aside. It quickly dawned on him that he had no idea where a proper suitcase would even be, and he was in the middle of trying to figure out what to do when he heard the familiar voice calling up to him. 

“Angel?” 

Aziraphale quickly stepped further into the room and shut the door behind him. “Just a moment!” _Oh dear_. 

“Aziraphale...?” It was hard to tell through the wood if Crowley was concerned or amused; either way, he was right on the other side at that point and Aziraphale quickly snapped his fingers. 

In an instant, the room was completely tidied, but...different. The furniture looked distinctly more sleek--”hip,” he knew Crowley would say--and the colors were an entirely different palette that wasn’t to his taste at all. In fact, the setup looked more like something--

The bark of Crowley’s laugh made Aziraphale close his eyes to keep from outwardly groaning. The demon was leaning against the door frame, having opened the door just enough to look around. 

“Did you just _miracle me a new bedroom in your own shop?”_ He was grinning from ear to ear with one hand raised as if attempting to hide it, his tone a mix of the same stunned awe and sheer amusement it had when he first found out Aziraphale had given away his flaming sword at the Garden of Eden. 

“I didn't _mean_ to!” Aziraphale insisted. “It just...slipped.”

“What, you just happened to be thinking of me when you decided to miracle away the dust?” 

“You’re the one that came upstairs so quickly.”

“Not any faster than you did, Angel. Excited for the trip?” Crowley’s grin didn’t fade as he stepped fully into the room and made his way over to the bed, unceremoniously flopped onto it. After a moment, he shifted to prop his head up on one arm, one leg planted on the floor to anchor him as he slid closer to the edge. “Well? What are you waiting for?” 

Aziraphale had to check himself to keep from staring at the demon. It was hard not to notice that the top two buttons of Crowley’s shirt had been left undone, providing an enticing view of pale skin beneath the crimson fabric. Clearing his throat, he sighed, smiled, and turned to his wardrobe. “If you aren’t going to tell me where we’re going, you can at least tell me what I won’t need, Crowley. Do I need a suit?” 

“Nope.” 

“All right, so we aren’t going anywhere fancy…” Aziraphale didn’t have many outfits that would be considered “casual” by most people in the current day and age, but there were at least plenty that were comfortable. 

“Have you got anything you can swim in?” 

The angel raised an eyebrow and looked back at Crowley. “Why? Are we going swimming?” 

Crowley mirrored Aziraphale’s expression. “Do you want to?” 

“...Are you taking me to the beach?” 

“It’s a _surprise_ , Angel. Pack.” 

If Crowley was anyone else, Aziraphale might have found himself growing annoyed, but he couldn’t help but buzz with excitement. It had been around a month since the apocalypse that didn’t really happen, when reality reset itself, and while many of the events were hard to remember clearly, there was nothing that could erase the memory of the Archangel Michael’s face when he, disguised as Crowley, asked her to miracle him a towel while sitting in a bath filled with holy water. The memory, while thoroughly amusing, gave a feeling of relief as well as hope for the future. Before all that, he and Crowley had only ever met up for the occasional lunch, or to exchange information and sneak around out of the watchful eyes of both Heaven and Hell. 

This was the first time they were going on a trip together, and it was without the worry of what anyone else would think. Just the two of them, out in the open. No more sneaking about.

When Aziraphale finished packing, Crowley led the way down the stairs, and waited by the door while his friend hastily wrote a note that said “Away on vacation” to hang in the window. Once outside, Crowley opened the car door for Aziraphale, half-leaning on it as the angel got situated. With a snap of his fingers, his car rumbled to life, his hips swaying as he bounced around to the driver’s side. “Don’t Stop Me Now” blasted through the car’s speakers. 

“Lunch?” Crowley asked, flashing another grin, this time showing off a mouthful of pearly whites that were a touch too sharp to be human. 

Aziraphale returned the grin and nodded enthusiastically. “Lunch.” 

With that, the Bentley pulled out of its space and Crowley floored the gas, speeding down the street. The music drowned out Aziraphale’s yelp as the car weaved its way through traffic like a bat out of hell.


	2. A Picnic Date

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> First order of business: lunch. Crowley already prepared.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Slowly making my way through making new content~

Aziraphale wasn’t sure what to expect in terms of what Crowley was planning. The demon had proven many times over the past six thousand years to be equally predictable and unpredictable. It was enough to keep him on his toes in times such as this, and he found he was quite delighted most times he couldn’t read his old friend. He looked for clues while Crowley drove, paying more attention to the demon himself than the world passing them by in a blur. 

Curiosity aside, Aziraphale found no reason to complain when given an excuse to appreciate Crowley. His nails, painted black as they had always been after nail polish was invented, were just long enough to have a bite to them should he decide to use them. Aziraphale couldn’t think of a reason why Crowley would _have_ to use them as such, but he found the thought oddly enticing. He couldn’t put his finger on why. 

He noticed the way Crowley gripped the steering wheel was tense, which was unusual because it was rare for Crowley to truly be tense; driving was often the demon’s way of settling his nerves. Besides, this wasn’t the first time they had gone to lunch together. If Crowley was nervous, was it because of the impending surprise? The way Crowley’s lips were pressed into a line--just enough to reflect the tension in his hands--made Aziraphale wonder just what he was up to. 

“Is there something on my face?” 

The sudden inquiry made Aziraphale jump. He hadn’t realized he was staring. “Oh--no, nothing. I was just…” The mischievous smile that crossed Crowley’s face made the angel’s breath hitch, and he quickly cleared his throat and shook his head. “I couldn’t help but notice you seem tense, Crowley.” 

An eyebrow raised. “Me? Tense? Why would I be tense?” Crowley hummed in amusement and opened his door. _When had they stopped?_ “It’s just lunch.” 

“Right. Of course.” Aziraphale smiled, then it was his turn to raise a brow when he saw where they were. “The park?” He stepped out of the car and looked around. Surprisingly, there weren’t that many people around. He thought more would have been taking advantage of the nice weather. He turned back to Crowley to see him holding a picnic basket in one hand and a blanket slung over his other arm. _Where had those come from? They weren’t in the back seat when he set his bag there..._

“I seem to recall you mentioning a picnic before,” Crowley said, tilting his head to one side and nodding towards the sky. “It’s nice out. Hungry?” 

“Crowley…” Aziraphale couldn’t help but beam, quickly following after the demon as he made his way towards an empty spot in the grass, under a tree. He was touched-- _thrilled_. This was another new thing; before, there was no way they could do something so _intimate_. 

Aziraphale could barely contain his excitement as Crowley laid out the blanket, and quickly made his way over to sit down when the demon beckoned to him. Where he managed some semblance of being proper, carefully lowering himself to the ground and getting situated in an orderly fashion, Crowley unceremoniously flopped down beside him with his legs stretched out. The pair looked at each other for a moment before they both broke out into laughter--a gleeful sound akin to schoolboys getting away with stealing cookies from the jar just before dinner. 

Pulling the basket closer to himself, Crowley opened it and began setting its contents onto the blanket between them: cucumber sandwiches, strawberries, grapes, cheese and apple slices, sushi, and lemonade. With a snap of his fingers, a small stack of paper plates, napkins, plastic silverware, and two cups appeared. 

“Voila,” he said with a smirk. 

“Crowley, this is _lovely!_ ” Aziraphale beamed, biting his bottom lip as he debated on where to start. 

Crowley chose for him by picking up one of the strawberries and holding it up to the angel’s lips, his smirk growing ever so slightly. He watched intently as Aziraphale indulged in taking the fruit between his teeth and bit into it up to the leaf, just shy of his fingers. He had to consciously remember not to let his expression give away the different kind of hunger that had clawed its way up into his chest and nearly caused his breath to hitch. He very much would have preferred the angel’s lips be elsewhere--

“Is there something on my face?” The question, echoed back at him with an amused grin, brought the demon sputtering out of his own thoughts and he quickly withdrew his hand, setting the remains of the berry aside onto a plate. 

“ _No_.” He busied himself with grabbing a couple of cucumber sandwiches and stuffing one into his mouth, doing his best to ignore the way his friend chuckled. 

The pair ate in silence for the most part, only breaking it with idle chit-chat and Aziraphale’s pleased hums when he reached the sushi. 

“Where did you find all of this?” Aziraphale asked. “Everything tastes so fresh...it’s as good as the restaurants we’ve visited.”

“I made it.” 

Aziraphale’s eyes widened. “You--Crowley-- _everything_? By yourself?”

“Yup.”

“ I didn’t know you knew how--” he tried and failed to stifle a delighted laugh. “ _It’s wonderful_.” 

Crowley shrugged nonchalantly, but the smile that returned to his face betrayed his own enthusiasm. “Couldn’t have you eating dry herbs and whatever processed garbage you find at the store nowadays.” 

“Thank you, Crowley.” 

Crowley grunted quietly and took a drink, pointedly looking away.

“I mean it! Really.” 

“I know, Angel.”

When they both had their fill, Crowley packed everything back into the picnic basket and banished it to his apartment. He kept the blanket, tossing it next to Aziraphale’s bag after folding it. 

“Do I at least get a hint as to where we’re going?” Aziraphale asked. 

Crowley’s brows raised above the frame of his sunglasses, and his devilish grin made another appearance. He decided against making a joke about patience being a virtue. “Not a peep. Get in the car, Angel. You’ll see soon enough.” 


	3. To The Countryside

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Aziraphale finally finds out where they're going, and Crowley shows off his playful side.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Longest chapter so far~ I'm still tinkering with line spacing on here; if the paragraphs need to be separated more, please let me know and I'll fix it! ♥

The thing about car rides with Crowley was that they weren’t boring so much as loud and anxiety inducing. At least in Aziraphale’s humble opinion. The constant stream of Queen playing over the radio, at a volume that would be uncomfortable for any reasonable human, would have caused a headache if Aziraphale allowed it, and there was no way to ignore the way his demon companion weaved through traffic--and pedestrians, which he narrowly missed--like the end of the world was on their tail. Had it been a month prior, would have been an accurate statement. Still, there was also something about it that was almost...thrilling. The way it made Aziraphale’s heart race, his knuckles white as he clung to the seat, his voice rising above the sound of the music to protest while Crowley’s laughter drowned him out...Aziraphale wondered if this was what it was like for humans that enjoyed _(what were they called?)_ roller coasters. 

It felt like an eternity before the Bentley left the city behind them, venturing into a part of the countryside Aziraphale hadn’t seen in quite some time. Green fields and rows of trees flew by, and as time passed, any signs of civilization dwindled; the farm houses and expensive vacation homes became few and far between. When Crowley turned down a narrow pathway, Aziraphale couldn’t help but admire the lush environment around it; tall trees and their reaching branches formed a tunnel overhead, with golden sunlight filtering through the canopy. Going through felt like a dream--a dream that had the angel’s mouth drop open when they reached the other side. 

The path winded down a hill covered in flowers that led to a cottage. There was a whole orchard of fruit trees behind it, and in the distance, Aziraphale could see the glint of water reflecting light. A lake. Aziraphale couldn’t recall a time that he had seen this place.

“Crowley, where _are_ we?” he couldn’t help but ask, tearing his eyes away from the scene to focus on the demon. 

“I believe humans call them getaways,” Crowley hummed, smiling widely. 

“This looks like more than just a vacation home. This is...Crowley, it’s _beautiful._ Are you renting it from someone?” 

“Sort of.” 

“Sort of? What do you mean? Oh, don’t tell me you _stole_ it!” 

Crowley snorted, half-laughing, half-scoffing. “Why would I steal a _whole house_ , Angel? Especially if I knew--if--well--” he waved one hand vaguely. “Why would I spoil a surprise with something that would _upset_ you?” 

“It would still count as stealing if you scared the owners away.” 

“No, it _wouldn’t_ \--” Crowley looked over at him, paused when he saw the teasing smile on the angel’s face, and raised an eyebrow. “...Really?” 

“What?” Aziraphale’s smile widened. “I haven’t the faintest idea why you’re looking at me like that.” There was something in his eyes that Crowley couldn’t name. Something warm, something otherwise indescribable except for the way it caused his heart to flutter in his chest. 

Crowley looked away. For once, he felt the need to make a conscious effort to keep his eyes on the road as they drew closer to the cottage. 

The quaint little house had several large rose bushes growing around the edges of the front porch, and the porch itself was complete with a bench and two rocking chairs positioned close to the door. Aziraphale could tell that it was an old building, but he could also see the fresh coat of white paint on its outer walls. The porch had obviously been recently touched up, and the chairs were perhaps the newest thing there. Inside was much the same, he discovered--a mix of an old atmosphere with new furniture and paint and decor. It was all very Crowley. 

“Fancy a dip in the lake?” Crowley asked, a small smile on his face as he watched the angel take in all the details around them. 

“It’s a little chilly for swimming, don’t you think?” Even though the sun was out, the weather certainly wasn’t suitable for--

“Not for _us_ ,” Crowley shrugged. He often shrugged when he was pretending something didn’t interest him. 

“What about the water?” 

“What about it?” 

“Well…” Aziraphale worried his bottom lip. “We’ve never exactly gone swimming together, Crowley. What if…What if it...” 

The demon’s eyebrows raised. “Are you worried about it turning into holy water?” 

“How do we know it couldn’t?” 

“Don’t you have to consciously bless it first or something?” 

“For the most part, yes, but what if--” 

“Aziraphale.” Crowley was frowning, but his tone shifted to something almost soft. “I can touch you. I could your hand if I bloody wanted to. I highly doubt that lake will make me spontaneously combust just because we both happen to be in it.”

“Right…” Aziraphale felt a little silly worrying about it, though he could tell that Crowley took the matter seriously. He supposed it was that small spark of niceness in the demon that kept him from laughing. Either way, Aziraphale couldn’t bear the thought of losing his only friend at all--much less due to an accident. “Well then. I suppose I should get changed.” 

“Are you sure you want to? We don’t have to--”

“No, no, it’s quite all right.” Aziraphale managed a warm smile. He trusted Crowley’s judgement. “I’ll be just a moment.” 

Aziraphale took a little longer than intended, fretting over unpacking before he forgot, and making sure everything was where he could find it later. His room was smaller than he was used to, and didn’t want it to fall into disarray like the one above his bookshop. He and Crowley were guests here, after all. When he emerged from the hall, he found Crowley already ready and patiently waiting for him with two towels draped over his shoulder. 

The angel smiled when he noticed that, in a way, he and Crowley matched. They were both wearing modest bodysuits; Crowley’s was black, of course, but Aziraphale favored blue and white horizontal stripes. He quite liked how they complimented the softness of his limbs and the curve of his belly. 

“Are there any humans about?” he asked curiously. “Groundskeepers or anything?” 

“Nope. Just us. Ready, Angel?”

“One thing first.” Aziraphale tried to hide the shyness that crept into his smile as he approached the demon, who looked confused. He reached up, hesitated, and gently removed the black sunglasses from Crowley’s face. Beneath them, Crowley’s eyes were totally gold, complete with slitted pupils fitting of his demonic form being that of a snake, and they were wide with surprise. “That’s better. Just us, yes? No need to hide them here.” He could have sworn that Crowley stopped breathing for a moment. 

“...Right.” Crowley had to consciously keep his voice from cracking. He quickly recovered, flashing a wide smile and motioned towards the door. “Fancy a short walk?” The sunglasses were left on the counter. 

Aziraphale was pleased to find that there wasn’t a single rough patch of ground beneath their bare feet as the pair made their way to the lake. In fact, he noticed that not a blade of grass was out of place--no brown spots, no wilting flower petals. He could have sworn he saw a few nearby plants shaking. Not in the same way they would when a breeze came over them, but a more deliberate movement. He was starting to wonder if Crowley had taken the time to “encourage” everything to grow well before their arrival. He did know that the demon had been rather distant for a week and a half prior to today…

“Angel.” Crowley flashed a playful grin once they reached the shore, nonchalantly tossed the towels nearby. “Have you ever heard of what humans call a ‘cannonball’? Not the big round blow-up-in-your-face thing. The _fun_ thing.” 

“The fun thing?” Aziraphale echoed, sounding a mix of confused and concerned. “It sounds...vaguely familiar, but I never paid much attention to human games so much as--Crowley, what are you doing?” He watched as the demon started backing up, his grin growing wider. He caught a glimpse of his pupils dilate slightly before Crowley took off running full speed towards the water. At the last second, he jumped, and Aziraphale thought he was flying for a moment with how far past the shore he reached. 

“Cannonball!” Crowley shouted, bringing his legs up to his chest and holding them there just before he hit the water. He came back to the surface laughing, and he waved to Aziraphale. “Come on, Angel! Your turn!” 

Aziraphale laughed nervously. He was thrilled by Crowley’s obvious enjoyment, but the idea of throwing _himself_ into the lake with such reckless abandon wasn’t something he could picture himself doing. “O-Oh, I don’t know if I--” 

“Come _on!_ It’s fun!” 

“But it’s not--”

“If you say it’s not proper, I’m going to come up there and throw you into the water myself. It’s _just us!_ Relax!” 

Aziraphale worried his bottom lip, debated a moment longer, and skeptically began walking backwards as Crowley had. “S-So I just--run and jump in like you did?”

“Don’t forget to yell ‘cannonball’! That’s the most important part!”

Just looking at the two of them, Aziraphale knew many humans would assume that he would be unable to jump the same distance as his friend. They had entirely different builds, after all, and Aziraphale had seen firsthand how judgemental humans could be. However, there were two things that debunked this idea: the first, many humans that shared his lovely--if he said so himself--roundness were far more agile than they might appear to such scrutinous gazes; second, Aziraphale was an _angel_ and if there was one thing he could do, it was _fly_. And so, fly he did. 

Mid-jump, Aziraphale found that it wasn’t nearly as awkward as he thought it would be, unable to help but break into a bright grin as he laughed. _“Cannonball!”_ He was aware of Crowley triumphantly cheering as he hit the water a full foot past where the demon had landed. 

They spent the rest of the afternoon there, laughing, swimming and playing. It made their newfound sense of freedom truly sink in. The pair finally made their way back to the shore when the sun began to sink behind the hill, laying back on their towels and talking about everything and nothing. 

For the first time in a number of years, Aziraphale felt totally at peace. 


End file.
